Things Change
by SelaJo
Summary: "Things change, Mac." She didn't expect those words to sound so harsh, but she realized it only when she said them. He didn't answer and they kept looking at each other in silence for a while. - A 9x16 "Blood Actually" Between-the scenes one-shot. Ellie's in the story too.


**Hi! I'm a newbie on the English CSI NY fandom! I used to write fanfictions in French, but with my friends', _UrbanMuse_, _Quille_ and _csinyfan28_ encouragement to write in English, I chose to give it a try! **

**So here it is: a 9x16 between-the scenes one-shot I wrote months ago, after I'd watched the episode.**

**Special thanks to my amazing Beta, _UrbanMuse_, who ****patiently proofread**** m****y work and made possible for me to post this story!**

**I hope you'll like it! **

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**THINGS CHANGE**

A soft knock on the glass door to Jo's office made her stop typing her report. She was surprised to be bothered on Valentine's Day evening because the lab was half deserted. Everyone had left as soon as possible to meet up with his or her better half on that special day. Everyone, that is, except her. She looked up from her computer screen and turned towards the door to find Mac leaning lightly against the frame. He was looking at her and as soon as he noticed he'd gotten her attention, he asked with a timid smile:

"Still here? I'm usually the last one to leave the lab…and you're the one forcing me to do so."

"Things change, Mac."

She didn't expect those words to sound so harsh, but she realized it only when she said them. He didn't answer and they kept looking at each other in silence for a while. Jo wondered if Mac could imagine how much meaning those two words could hold. 'Things change', indeed. Their relationship had evolved, and not in the direction that Jo had hoped for. After their argument a few months ago and despite Mac's attempt to apologize, they never quite succeeded in taking their relationship back to what it had been before: they kept their distance, even if they were still on good terms. Jo refrained from teasing him as she used to, making him pleasantly uncomfortable and causing him to think that she was flirting with him. There were no more bonding moments. They behaved solely as co-workers.

Things change, it's true. Mac met someone, Christine. And Jo was, in a way, responsible for it. If she and Lindsay hadn't created that profile for Mac on the social networking site during their case, Christine would never have reconnected with him after all these years.

Since he'd been with Christine – and particularly following the shooting that nearly killed him – Mac was far more relaxed. He smiled more than usual and he was much more aware of the world around him. He didn't spend his nights on the couch in his office anymore – something that used to drive Jo crazy – and he left work as soon as he had the opportunity. In the end, he listened to Jo: he'd gotten a life outside of the lab now, just not the kind of life Jo would have expected.

Mac changed: everyone at the lab noticed it too, and she hated that she wasn't the reason for this change. She remembered with a half-smile how many times the team, during the months after her arrival at the crime lab, kept repeating to her how Mac was different when she was around. She could still hear the exact words every one of her friends had said. But now all these details weren't so important for Jo, since Mac had found someone else who made him feel good, who made him happy.

As they continued to look at each other, she could bear neither the silence nor Mac's piercing stare any longer, so she forced a smile and said:

"Ellie's got a date and I thought I would be more useful here than at home."

_Alone in my apartment. On Valentine's Day, _she wanted to add but kept her silence. She pointed her finger absent-mindedly at her computer screen before going on:

"Still have some work to do… I wanted to finish typing the report on the case Lindsay and I closed."

_Jo hates paperwork. She always waits for the last moment to do it, _Mac thought. He hesitated a few seconds before asking:

"Jo, is everything alright?"

"Oh yeah, it shouldn't take more than an hour. It was pretty easy for Lindsay and I to close it."

Jo preferred keeping her answer to the question within the professional field, even if she knew it wasn't the kind of answer Mac was waiting for. He understood immediately that she was trying to avoid his question and he didn't insist. At one time, he would have insisted; but now it seemed he no longer knew how to behave around her. So he accepted her answer and she continued:

"You should go, Mac. I'm sure she's waiting for you."

Jo stuck with the pronoun "she" : pronouncing her name would be too painful for Jo. Especially today.

"We already lost our restaurant reservation. A few minutes more won't change things. Christine is waiting for me in a bar."

"How is she doing ?"

"She's good…she is strong."

Jo nodded and forced another smile before saying :

"Tell her I say hi."

"I will." he answered softly.

"Have a great night then." she added with another forced smile.

"Thank you."

He was about to add "you too", but he realized how his words might seem insensitive. He knew too well that if Jo preferred staying at the lab, it was because she was alone on that special day. He bit his lip and smiled to her timidly before walking to the door. Jo was again focused on her computer screen when he turned back and called out to her :

"Jo ?"

She looked up and he was quiet for a few seconds. She noticed a trace of nervousness and she wondered what could make him feel that way. _Was she responsible for it ?_

He finally smiled lightly before telling her :

"Don't take too long."

She nodded and forced a last smile before watching him walk to the elevator. She kept looking in that direction even after the doors of the elevator closed, cutting Mac from her view. She stayed pensive a few minutes before sighing and continuing to type up the rest of her report.

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Half an hour passed when she heard some footsteps outside her office. She didn't pay attention to them, because she knew too well that no one would be looking for her tonight. She kept typing, thinking about the case she and Lindsay had solved. A sad story. A man who didn't want to spend another Valentine's Day alone, who was willing to spend the evening speaking with an escort instead. Telling her about his life. His heartaches and pains. This case had affected Jo. She understood perfectly how alone this man felt. She couldn't help but make a comment earlier to Lindsay about true love. And even if she'd said it with a smile, she realized that Lindsay had been able to look beyond that forced smile. Even now, Jo could still see the sad look of her co-worker and friend; she could still feel the hand Lindsay had put on her shoulder in sign of support before saying goodbye and leaving to meet Danny. Lindsay understood how Jo was feeling : she was a woman, a friend and Jo couldn't help but smile when she remembered that Lindsay had offered to go out for a drink with Jo before she met Danny. Jo had been touched by Lindsay's kind thought, but she politely declined, neither wanting to sound too desperate, nor steal precious time away from her friend and the special evening she was going to spend with Danny.

"Hi Mom !"

Jo looked away from her computer screen and turned around, surprised to find her daughter on the doorstep, escorted by a security guard. She stood up from her chair and exclaimed :

"Ellie! What are you doing here? I thought you were out with Andrew!"  
"I told him I was coming down with a cold", she answered simply with a small hand gesture.

"But you've been looking forward to this date for weeks." Jo went on, frowning.

"I know. I just changed my mind, that's all."

Ellie smiled at her, revealing a paper bag she was holding in her right hand, and she said to her mother:

"I thought maybe you and I could make some double fudge, death by chocolate ice cream sundaes instead… Watch one of these ol' sappy movies!"

Ellie laughed while finishing her sentence and Jo frowned again, visibly suspicious before asking:

"Okay, does this have anything to do with your poor mom flying solo on Valentine's Day?"  
"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. "

"Ellie Danville…" Jo pronounced clearly, unable to hold back a smile.

They looked at each other and a radiant smile appeared on Jo's face when she realized how lucky she was to have such a sweet daughter. Ellie had cancelled her first date on Valentine's Day just to keep her lonely mother company.

"Aww, you're becoming the most amazing young lady…" Jo exclaimed, hugging her daughter and trying her best to hide her emotion.

"Yeah, yeah…" Ellie answered rolling her eyes. "Tell me somethin' I don't know."

Jo let go of the young girl and said with a smile:

"Here's something. I get to pick the movie."

She took the paper bag and was about to leave her office when Ellie laughed and followed her, exclaiming:

"Ohhh no, you don't."

Jo jogged along the corridor, her daughter right behind her. They both laughed and in this brief moment, Jo forgot about how much some things had changed to focus on those that had stayed the same. Despite the fact that she still hadn't found someone to share her life with, she always had her marvelous children by her side, to take care of her and love her no matter what. Jo stopped jogging and kept walking while Ellie joined her. Jo circled an arm around her daughter and drew her closer as they walked to the elevator. She kissed Ellie's hair and whispered softly:

"I love you, sweetheart. And thank you."

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**Please R&R: let me know what you think about it. I'd appreciate it very much. Thank you! :)  
Stay tuned for more stories!**


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